Awareness turned to action

CAC Community Organizer Amy Soland shares her thoughts on Forced to Flee:

I have been actively involved with Calling All Crows for over three years and a resident of the Chicago suburbs for the majority of my life. One of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned through my time and experiences with CAC is that awareness is the first step to seeing and creating positive change. You may be enlightened to an issue and wonder, “What’s being done?” “Why didn’t I know about this?” “Why don’t more people think about this?” “What can I do to about this?” These were my initial thoughts when I learned that the focus of this tour was the roughly 51.2 MILLION refugees around the world. 

The U.S. State Department defines a refugee as someone “who has fled from his or her home country and cannot return because he or she has a well-founded fear of persecution based on religion, race, nationality, political opinion or membership in a social group.” While I knew the reality that people all over the world were forced to flee their homes and become refugees, and I knew, for example, of the devastating conflict in Syria and all the displacement that has caused, I didn’t know the numbers: over 10 million people driven from their homes, roughly 3 million of them forced to flee to other countries. But, having this quiet, back of the mind awareness of refugees I still never realized that they were all around me, or wondered how many refugees I had met today, who is helping them, or what I could do about it. Thankfully, Forced to Flee caught my attention and got me asking myself those questions.

However, in trying to find answers, I found more questions. When I really took some time to think about it, I realized what they need is far greater than just a new place to live. On top of the challenge of filling basic physical needs for food, water and shelter, many of those fleeing, to America particularly, would need help learning English in order to take the necessary steps to maintaining those needs. This also includes things like maintaining legal residency status, obtaining U.S. citizenship, reconnecting with families and finding a job.  Looking at any of those individually, you will begin to realize there are tasks within those tasks, and seemingly endless steps necessary to check just one of those off the list. 

Finding a job, for instance, has so much more to it than just searching and applying. People need to first meet the legal requirements to work in this country, be able to confidently qualify for the positions and then be able to fulfill their duties consistently (i.e. having the proper clothes to wear, reliable transportation etc). Breaking down each of those steps within steps, well… there are just more steps! Imagine that daunting feeling of trying to make it all happen, all while dealing with the emotions of leaving your home and possibly all family and friends behind as well as the extreme culture shock and fear that is bound to come along with it.  Maintaining mental and emotional stability after going through whatever brought them to the point of fleeing is an incredible accomplishment in itself, without that endless list of steps.

These questions and answers only scrape the surface of what refugees experience, and the further you let your mind wander, and the more time you spend scanning the internet trying to understand, the louder those questions become in your head: “WHO IS HELPING THESE PEOPLE?” “WHAT CAN I DO ABOUT IT?” Thankfully, there are great efforts being made by passionate individuals and local and international organizations that make a difference and help.

It was wonderfully refreshing to realize how much is already happening to support the enormous community of refugees in my own city of Chicago, and that there are numerous ways I personally can become more involved. Check them out!

• World Relief Chicago is an international organization that focuses broadly on assisting and supporting the vulnerable. Whether they are refugees, orphaned children, families devastated by disaster, widowed women etc. they go where they are called and are doing some really incredible things. World Relief Chicago has assisted in the resettlement of over 15,000 refugees since being established in 1980. They have a globally diverse staff of 30 members working in close collaboration with the local community, volunteers and partner organizations to help immigrants and refugees become self-sufficient in the U.S., and more specifically reaching that self-sufficiency in Chicago. They offer a ton of opportunities to get more involved whether it be via volunteering, event attendance, internships or employment.
• Refugee One is an independent not-for-profit refugee resettlement agency working out of Chicago. Every year, they assist roughly 2,500 refugees resettled in Chicago in becoming independent, self-supporting members of the community as quickly as possible. Much like World Relief Chicago, Refugee One is supporting and helping to complete all those tasks or steps that I kept realizing above.  They too have a lot of wonderful opportunities for community involvement.
• Heartland Alliance Refugee Health Programs provides culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach services to meet the health and nutrition education needs of newly arriving refugees in Illinois. They focus specifically on the health and wellness aspect of resettlement, which is a point that needs a lot of attention. Along with all their initiatives and programs serving the community, they also offer a wonderful, and free, database of downloadable information regarding health conditions and information on wellness, exercise etc. There are a wealth of volunteer and internship opportunities to get more involved with their brilliant cause. 

I will leave these three brilliant local organizations as a starting point, because I believe real, effective change starts within our own communities. That isn’t to say that these three organizations are the ONLY local efforts in place, but they are a wonderful example of the tops of their field and offer great connections to many associated organizations. I will also urge you to visit Oxfam America and Amnesty International, a brilliant international organization shedding a lot of light on this issue and offering ways to become involved on a broader scale.

I’ll end coming back to where I started. I mentioned how valuable awareness is as an initial stepping-stone towards positive change. I will humbly admit that I am no expert on this particular issue, but it was a light switch from Forced to Flee that took it from the back of my mind to a thirst for understanding and a genuine passion for this cause. If Forced to Flee hasn’t done that for you already, I hope that this can be a starting point to get your juices of awareness flowing and spreading. Every conversation makes a difference! After all a few months ago I rarely thought about this issue, but after a brief conversation, it’s evolved into a full-blown passion, this post, and two epic engagement events with one of my favorite artists.

Imagine what your awareness could do.

Just one of the family

Ed Morris, this year's NH5K2014 top individual fundraiser shared why he is supporting Calling All Crows:

I am honored to share our connection to Chad and Calling All Crows with you. It’s simple really: it’s all about family when it comes down to it.

My wife is obsessive about music. When she stumbled upon Dispatch, Chad, Pete Francis, Brad Corrigan and State Radio on Pandora, she had no idea of the connection. Hard to believe, but true. It wasn’t until Dispatch went on tour in 2012 that she realized they were all related. The icing on the cake is that my wife is a teacher and was so excited about Dispatch and their commitment to education. Our family had to be extremely patient because all we heard about/listened to was Dispatch, State Radio, Pete, Brad and Chad. In fact, whenever my wife quotes anything from any song, our children bow their heads and say “Chad Chapter 4 verse 7.”

We first met Chad at an organic farm service project. It was a glorious day! We met Bernard Kailey and his two children, who have since become part of our family! We also met Adam Gardner who turned us on to Reverb, which we’ve now been volunteering with for the past two years. But the day was ending, and Liz wanted me to ask Chad to come to Dallas for a living room concert. Even though Liz is the music freak, she is shy and never would have asked so I stepped up (not only for her because now I was hooked too!). I mentioned to Chad that I noticed that out of 23 cities,  Dallas wasn’t on his list—what could I do to make this happen? Chad took my card popped it in his mail carrier pants and left. When we saw him play the show that night in what looked to be the same pants, we thought, there’s no way that card will make it to his people. But two weeks later we received a call from Eva—fast forward and Chad played at our home last October 11.

Chad broke bread with us, raised a beer in celebration, took photos with anyone who requested them and dedicated two songs that night, one to our dog who just had surgery and the other to our very best friend, Jed Bernstein. Chad had met over 50 people that night but chose Jed. Why is this relevant? Because Jed was the most amazing friend, man, father, etc., and on January 1, 2014, he died of a massive heart attack in the arms of his girlfriend Rachel at the age of 42. We sorta felt that Chad must have seen something special in Jed. We raised over $500 for Calling All Crows that night and collected 20 or more coats for the local homeless. It was because of CAC that we put out the donation jar and asked for the coats.

Anyway, in February we traveled to Delray Beach for the Garlic Festival to see Dispatch, and celebrate and mourn Jed. Bernard from Montana, Rachel, Liz and I waited in line to talk to Chad. I let him know of our loss. Chad was genuinely moved and agreed to dedicate a song for Jed. We were so touched by this and the entire experience bonded us and helped us move on! Bernard even met the girl of his dreams as we were leaving the show.

In April, Liz, Bernard, his new love Jackie and I traveled to Elgin, Texas to support The Horse Boy Foundation and see Chad headline the show. We met Chad’s mom Sheila and spent the show chatting it up and singing with Chad. On June 1, 2014, I went into the ER with a stomach ache and ended up in a coma for nearly one month. While I was in the hospital, Rachel and Bernard talked about contacting Chad’s Calling All Crows reps to let them know that I was in critical condition and the next thing we know, he sends a beautiful video of him playing “Super Man” by Crash Test Dummies with his family singing in the background and his daughter dancing. I was not fully processing yet and didn’t get it, but my family sure did and now I do too! We don’t know why our connection to Chad and Calling All Crows developed into what feels like family to us but it has. Maybe it’s because of our story of loss, illness and survival or maybe it’s one of family, love of music, love of being inspired, love of teasing and laughter—Chad Stokes and CAC, you bring that to our world!

Thank you for encouraging your fans to action I am proud my team of my wife and I met our goal in fundraising. We will see you at Northampton for a great weekend.

If you want to support Ed in his fundraising efforts for our NH5K2014, visit his page.

Connecting a fundraiser in the US with her heritage and a country in crisis

There are 51.2 million forcibly displaced people in the world. Because of fear of persecution, war or armed conflict, these people were forced to leave their homes, and sometimes country, with little preparation, few resources and little to no belongings. Approximately 16 million of these people are refugees who have fled their home countries. 80% are women and children. The conflict in Syria alone has driven over 10 million people from their homes, with 3 million of them fleeing to neighboring countries. It is the largest humanitarian crisis in the world.

This fall Calling All Crows is organizing Forced to Flee, a tour with musician Chadwick Stokes, dedicated to raising awareness about refugees and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Syria. We encourage you to join us on tour for a community engagement event or service project.

Laura Tenekjian, an NH5K2014 fundraiser and Calling All Crows supporter, shared her personal connection to the situation with us:

Our father is Armenian and was born and raised in Aleppo, Syria. After completing medical school at the University of Beirut, he made the difficult decision to leave his family to pursue a career in medicine in the United States. In 1973, he moved to West Virginia to begin his residency, met and married my mother a few years later and began to build a life far away from his original home. Growing up, our dad made sure that my brother, sister, and I were well aware of our Armenian heritage and saw to it that we formed close bonds with all of our family still living in Aleppo.  

We visited Aleppo several times as children and as young adults, allowing the family bond to grow and with that, our love and respect for Aleppo and Syria as a whole.  We have nothing but fond memories of our trips to the Middle East and we feel lucky to have experienced the culture and the food, and to have visited architectural landmarks such as the Citadel and the Souk in the old part of the city.

Aleppo has a rich history, which is one of the many reasons that the civil war is such a devastating crisis. Aleppo, as we knew it, is no longer. Our family, along with so many others, have been forced to move to other neighboring countries seeking safety and a hopeful future. Although we've spoken with them at length about their situation, it is impossible to know what it feels like to have your home ripped away from you and your country torn apart by war.

It is our hope that this event and others like it will not only raise funds for Syria and it's people, but also that they raise awareness about the magnitude of the crisis in the country. We are participating in this event in honor of our Armenian family in Aleppo, and for the beautiful country of Syria and it's people.

If you want to support Laura in her fundraising efforts for our NH5K, visit her page.

Photo credit: Mark Tenekjian

About CAC's Music and Lecture Series

Danielle Bernstein, guest columnist, attended the Sept. event with Michelle Wu, Boston City Councilor, and Will Evans from Barefoot Truth:

When my husband first suggested we attend the Music and Lecture Series, I was both apprehensive and interested. I liked the idea of getting to hear some cool music but wasn’t really sure what to expect in regards to the atmosphere and the lecture.

We decided to make a date night out of it (in my world, that means frozen yogurt, dinner, and something in between). We got to Jamaica Plain around 7:30 and were pleasantly surprised by what a laid back atmosphere it was. We were greeted at the door and brought inside where it was easy to mingle and meet everyone. After about ten minutes of hanging out, the lecture part of the evening began. Despite the name, this was anything but a lecture. It felt more like a comfortable conversation with great people. Michelle Wu is the type of person that you admire and relate to all at once. She had so many eye-opening and interesting stories about the things that go on in Boston affecting women (and really all of us), and I can truly say it was as enjoyable as the music. The talk ended after about an hour, and Will from Barefoot Truth started playing. He was awesome and it was such cool way to listen to music – just a bunch of people sitting around in a circle in someone's living room and eating cookies.

It would be impossible to say if I preferred the discussion or the music, but without a doubt, it was the style and relaxed vibe of the event that allowed them both to be so great. Everyone, including myself, seemed to enjoy themselves and I am already looking forward to the next one. 

The next Music and Lecture Series event will be on Oct. 11 featuring Nadia Alawa, founder of NuDay Syria, and OldJack. You can find out more and register here.

The Berkshires Live On Giving Stage

Samantha Wondoloski (Intern, Guest Columnist)- I’m so excited about the online concert with The Berkshires this Saturday, July 19th! I was lucky enough to see The Berkshires in person last Halloween when they opened for Chad on the second night of the Northampton 5K.  We’ve teamed up with them again, along with Giving Stage, to raise money to aid Syria’s nearly 3 million refugees.  For those of you who don’t know, Giving Stage is a virtual venu that raises money for social and environmental change.  

Now I know that not all of you were able to see the band play before, so I did a quick Q&A with the guys so you can get to know them better.

Q: How did you all meet and form a band?

A: At first, two current band members, Cal and Matt, played in a garage band together in 2008. The two knew each other through jazz band, and experimented with rock music. By 2009, the band was equipped with four current members, Cal, Matt, Rob, and Phil, and called themselves Muster Station. Our sound began to progress from harder rock to softer, funkier, and silkier genres, thanks to Rob’s stellar saxophone as the latest edition. It took many tries to get the right singer, but finally we found Phil and have never looked back. Last but certainly not least, we gained Tim in the spring of 2013, and finally gained a sound we were happy with. With the new found sound, we changed our name to The Berkshires.

Q: Why did you decide on “The Berkshires” for your band name?

A: Once we had our 5 current band members, we sat down and tried to think of a name. We tossed around many options, such as “Flapjack Stack”, “West Bound Wealth”, and many other names. However, once "The Berkshires" was suggested we all agreed it fit our bands personality very well based on our New England origin and our connection to the area. We liked the sound of it and thought it would be a good name.

Q: Where do you get your musical inspiration from?

A: We are big fans of State Radio, Chad’s solo career, and Dispatch. However, we have many influences, including jazz artists such as George Benson, Gordon Goodwin, Charlie Parker, etc. Also, songwriters such as David Grey and Woodie Guthrie have played a role. Not to mention artists such as Dave Matthews, The Band, and even Earth Wind and Fire have helped influence our sound. Really, a sprinkle of everything here and there.

Q: Why are you holding this online concert?

A:We are thrilled to aid Calling all Crows in their efforts in providing relief for Syrian refugees. We partnered with Calling all Crows last October and had great success, so when we were asked to partner again we immediately thought we should. Also, we are very excited to be able to play our music in the process, and this online show is the perfect start for our summer tour.

Q: How did you first hear about Calling All Crows and how did you get involved?

A: We have known about Calling all Crows for a few years now. We first heard about them by attending State Radio concerts, and decided to initially get involved in 2011 when we played a show at the Webster Theatre in Hartford and raised a lot of change for the Bringing Change To Women campaign. Ever since, we have been looking for ways to get involved with the organization. We are very happy that we are able to do this with music, as it is how we were first connected to the program listening to State Radio and Chad’s solo career.

Q: Why are you inspired by Calling All Crows?

A: The positive social change that the organization creates using music as a medium is fantastic. To be able to release passion for the help of others as well as through music seems like a dream come true. If we could ever do anything close to what Calling all Crows has done, it is safe to say we would be quite happy.

So there you have it!   If you want to give The Berkshires a listen before the show on Saturday, check out their soundcloud, then go and get your tickets here!